


Merry Christmas

by NYS30



Category: Luke Cage (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 00:05:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8918803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYS30/pseuds/NYS30
Summary: Mariah is frazzled. Cornell is no help, Mama Mabel is trying her patience, and who the hell is this kid that keeps popping up from nowhere?





	

“Come on let’s go!” Mariah called from the bottom of the stairs. “Hold on, I almost ready.” Cornells irritated voice travels down the stairs. Mariah rolls her eyes and takes a seat on the couch to wait until Cornell finishes his primping. Mama Mabel was going to take a switch to both of their asses if they don’t get a move on soon.

They were both supposed to already be at Harlems Paradise helping set up for the Christmas party. The event was usually held at the local community center, but an unexpected fire that burned the structure to the ground had stalled those plans. So Mabel offered up her club as an alternative. She’d gone all out for the kids, hiring a Santa and elves, initiating a toy drive so every child would get a gift or two, and turning the club into a winter paradise.

Mariah was home for winter break and instead of catching up with her friends or getting ahead on classwork, she spent the last few days running around Harlem collecting toys and winter clothes to be distributed from “Santa.” Mariah snorts, “Isn’t that some bullshit, I do all the work and some guy in a suit gets all the credit.”

She’s just about to yell up again when Cornell comes stomping down the stairs. “Bout damn time.” Mariah grumbled. Cornell just smirks as he puts on his coat, “Hey I gotta make sure I’m looking good, Tone said triple B might be there.” There is a brief back and forward in Mariah’s mind before she decides to go on and ask. “Triple B?” She questions, already mentally bracing herself for some idiotic statement. “Big Booty Brenda!” Cornell explains gleefully. Mariah stares at him for a full 10 seconds before shaking her head and walking out the door.

The whole ride over, she wonders what happened to the boy who wanted nothing more than to play his piano. Nowadays he’s become more brash, more vulgar, and Mariah does not like it one bit. He’s acting like all the knuckleheads that do nothing more than sit on their stoop and call out to girls as they pass by. She wishes she can take him with her when she goes back to school, but she knows that will never happen. He’s a Stokes, heir to the “family business” and the hooks that Uncle Pete and Mama Mabel have in him are too deep to be removed with no lasting damage.

When they arrive at the club, Mariah backs up on the curb to make unloading easier. There is a group of boys waiting and Cornell jumps out heads towards his friends. “Hey! I need you to help me unload all this stuff.” She gestures to the back of the van that is piled high with more gifts to stick under the tree. Cornell barely slows down, “Get someone from the club to help Mimi, I’m hanging with my boys.” His entourage laughs and they disappear inside, no doubt looking for some girl to harass.

“Oh Hell no.” Mariah slams the driver’s door, “This mother fucker must have lost his goddamned mind.” The Harlem in her coming out in full force. She stalks towards the club, so intent on dragging his ass back that she misses that one of his followers had stayed behind. She bursts into the club searching for Cornell, but unfortunately the first person she sees is Mabel. “Where you been? We still have to set up the stage for Santas chair and get the food out.” She pauses noticing the abundance of space underneath the tree. “Don’t tell me you forgot the gifts, I swear-“

“No I got’em. Cornell was supposed to help me bring them in, but he left with his stupid ass friends. I need someone to help me bring everything in.” Mabel exhales, looking like she wants to choke somebody. “Fine, go out and start bringing in the gifts, and I’ll find someone to help you. Go on, now.” She added when it looked like Mariah wanted to argue. 

Mariah turns and heads towards the entrance, “God forbid Cornell ever have to do any actual work.”

“Little girl, I know you’re not talking shit over there.” Mariah swore she had been out of hearing range, but obviously that wasn’t true. “No ma’am.” She quickens her steps and soon she’s back outside in the freezing cold, cursing Cornells entire existence. It’s not until she gets closer to the van that she notices it’s open and someone is inside. 

And that’s it, that’s the last straw for Mariah. She may not carry a gun like Cornell, or Mabel, but it doesn’t mean she is defenseless, she is a Stokes after all. She reaches into her oversized wool coat and pulls out the knife that’s never too far from her side. “You do realize you’re stealing from Mama Mabel, right?” Mariah figures she’d give them a chance to walk away.

“I ain’t stealin nothing.” The voice sounds young and she confirms it when he sticks his head out to give her a lopsided grin. “I thought that since Cornell ran off, you’d need some help unloading.” That was the last thing she expected to hear, but wasn’t about to refuse his offer, since she knew Cornell wouldn’t be coming to help. She returned the knife to its resting spot, “Fine, can you at least pass me some so I can get started on bringing them in?” 

“Yes ma’am.” He replied disappearing back into the van once more and handing her boxes. Mariah looks for something to prop the door open, she’d be damned if she was going to keep opening and closing the door. Let somebody say something about letting the cold air in, Mariah Dillard will cut a bitch.

Surprisingly, the offloading goes smoothly, whoever this kid is knows what he’s doing. Mariah makes a mental note to find out who he is and send him home with a few extra plates. Before long they’re finished, and Mariah only had to deal with one stupid comment from Zip, and she very quickly told him in no uncertain words to shut the fuck up and keep it moving. 

She turns to thank her helper, and gets a good look at him for the first time. He’s about her height and as skinny as a damn rail. He looked to be even younger than Cornell, although that could be because of his baby face. He’s all gangly limbs now, but she can see with some age (and weight) on him he’d be promising. “Thank you for helping, I don’t know where Cornell is, but I’m sure if you follow the scent of selfish jackass, you’ll find him.” She’s about to get back in the van to move it when Mabel calls her name. 

“Mariah! I need you to help me set up in the kitchen.” Mariah quietly sucked her teeth before holding up the keys. “We just finished unloading the van and it’s still parked on the curb. I’ll move it and come back.” She was hoping to catch some sort of break and get a little quiet time to herself, but of course she’s not that lucky. 

“Just give the keys to Hernan.” Mabel looks at the kid that Mariah realizes is still standing there. “He’ll make sure it’s taken care of, right baby?” It was phrased as a question, but everyone listening knew it was more of a command. The kid…Hernan apparently, gives her the same answer he gave Mariah, “Yes, ma’am.” He holds his hands out for the keys and Mariah hands them over. So much for a few minutes alone, she thinks as Mabel whisks her into the kitchen.

 

Four hours later and the party is in full swing, and Mariah was actually having a good time…. although that could have been because of the alcohol. Santa had been a big hit with the kids, there were a few times she had to turn away and discreetly dab at her eyes. The gratitude on the parent’s faces when they realized that, at least for this year, their children would have a real Christmas. The initial disbelief and then delight from the kids who were used to not receiving anything made Mariah’s heart clench. As she climbed the steps to second level, she was already thinking of ways to make next year’s event even better. 

She slipped into one of the empty offices, stretched out on the couch, and took off her shoes. She figured she had at least a half hour before anyone noticed she was missing. It felt like she had just started to doze off when she heard the door opening and a soft “Mariah?” 

She opened her eyes to see the kid who had helped her unload the van standing in the doorway. “Either come in and shut the door, or leave and shut the door.” He stepped in and eased the door shut. “I just wanted to give you your keys back, and to let you know Mama Mabel is looking for you.”

“Shit.” Mariah glanced at the clock, surprised that it had been almost an hour since she laid down. She got up and went into the adjoining bathroom to freshen up, when she came out the kid was still there. “Thanks, Herman.” She sat on the couch to put her shoes back on.

“Hernan.”

“What?”

“It’s Hernan.” He repeated. 

“Oh, well, thanks Hernan. And thank you again for helping me with the presents. You didn’t have to do it, but I am grateful that you did.” She walks to the door, hand reaching for the knob, but he beats her to it. Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise as he holds the door open for her to step through. She does so with a smile and continues on with him right on her heels. Just before she starts to descend, she notices the small bundle of greenery attached to the top of the stairway and she gets an idea. She waits until he is standing next to her and she grabs him by his collared shirt and plants a soft kiss on his lips. “Merry Christmas, Hernan.”

She pulls back, pats him on his cheek, and makes her way downstairs. Right before she re-enters the party she hears “Merry Christmas to you too.” She looks up, he is still at the top of the stairs, with a smile a mile wide.

Mariah chuckles to herself, sprits temporarily lifted, and thinks at least someone here is having a good time.


End file.
